A £42,000 grant from the Football Foundation is to fund street games activities throughout Wigan borough over the next two years.

Secured by Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust’s Sports Development team, the money will allow hundreds of children to enjoy activities such as football, handball, netball, rugby league, basketball and athletics sessions at Robin Park Arena, Hindley Sports Centre, Lowton Community Sports College, and Pembec High School.

Sports Development Officer for the trust, David Bradley, said: “This funding will allow the team to develop new and exciting opportunities for young people throughout the borough.

“We want to enable people from all backgrounds to participate regularly in physical activity and improve their sporting, coaching and leadership skills.

“Street Games is ideal to reach those children who do not necessarily play for their local sports teams but still like to get involved in physical activity and team games.

“We will be offering local people the chance to determine the activities that they would like to take part in. We hope by providing these activities in the heart of local communities, through schools in particular, they will have a lasting impact on the activity levels of young people.”

Paul Thorogood, chief executive of the Football Foundation, added: “Football and sport is the most effective vehicle for encouraging people to get active and Street Games is the latest exciting example of a Football Foundation-funded project launching in Wigan.

“It is thanks to the investment by our funding partners, the Premier League, The Football Association and the Government, that the Foundation exists to support this type of project and I encourage all of Wigan’s schools and clubs to take advantage of the unprecedented funding that is available.”